PUSH-BACK PALLET RACKING UK
Push-back pallet racking gives you 2–6 pallets of depth per lane on inclined nested carts, combining the throughput of selective racking with the density of block storage. Designed and installed UK-wide by UM Storage Systems.
Floor Utilisation
Pallets Deep
Faster Than Drive-In
Years Experience
Push-back pallet racking is a dynamic, semi-live storage system that stores pallets two to six deep per lane on a series of nested, inclined carts. When a forklift deposits a new pallet at the front of the lane, the existing pallets are pushed back along the rails; when the front pallet is removed, gravity rolls the next pallet forward into the picking position. The result is a Last-In-First-Out (LIFO) operation that delivers most of the density of drive-in racking with double the throughput.
UM Storage Systems designs and installs push-back systems across UK food, pharmaceutical, retail and 3PL warehouses. Every project is engineered to SEMA and BS EN 15512, supplied with a SEIRS-aligned handover inspection, load notices and our £10 million public liability cover.
How Push-Back Racking Works
Each lane contains a stack of nested, wheeled carts riding on slightly inclined steel rails. The first pallet is placed directly on the lowest cart, the second pallet pushes that cart back as it lands on the next cart up, and so on until the lane is full. Removing a front pallet allows gravity to roll the remaining stack forward into the next picking position — no forklift ever enters the structure.
Because the forklift only ever interacts with the front face of the lane, picks are dramatically faster than drive-in systems and the structure suffers far less impact damage. This makes push-back especially well suited to medium-rotation SKUs that are too active for drive-in but still benefit from compressed footprint.
Push-Back vs Drive-In vs Pallet Live Storage
Drive-in racking offers the highest density (up to 85% utilisation) but the slowest picks because trucks must enter the structure. Push-back gives you around 75% utilisation with much faster picks and no forklift entry. Pallet live storage (FIFO gravity flow) is the fastest of the three and the only true FIFO option, but typically costs more per pallet position.
Our engineers will benchmark all three options against your stock turn, SKU count and throughput target during the free survey, and present a side-by-side cost-per-pallet-position comparison so you can make an evidence-based choice.
Typical UK Applications
Push-back is the workhorse of UK food, drink and consumer-goods distribution centres because it handles high-volume same-SKU storage without the bottleneck of single-deep selective racking. We have installed push-back systems for chilled meat processors, brewery distribution depots, online grocery dark stores and 3PL contract logistics operators across England, Scotland and Wales.
It is also a strong fit for batch-manufacturing buffer storage, where a single SKU is produced in a long run and held for a few days before despatch. The LIFO pattern is irrelevant for this short-cycle holding, and the density advantage is significant.
Engineering, Installation and Handover
Every push-back system is engineered around your specific pallet weight, pallet type (UK CHEP, Euro, custom) and forklift fleet. Cart capacity is matched to load, lane length is optimised against truck cycle time, and rail incline is calculated to guarantee free-rolling under your specific load conditions.
Installation is delivered by our directly employed CSCS- and IPAF-certified crews. We commission every lane with a load test, fit aisle load notices, and provide a full handover pack including O&M manual, design drawings and SEIRS-aligned inspection report.
Key Features
Typical UK Applications
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is push-back racking faster than drive-in?
Yes — typically twice as fast on pallet pick rate because the forklift never enters the structure. The truck only interacts with the front face of each lane, which also dramatically reduces impact damage.
How many pallets deep can a push-back lane be?
Two to six pallets deep is the standard range. Beyond six pallets, the cart system becomes uneconomic and pallet live storage with full gravity flow rollers becomes a better option.
Does push-back work in cold stores?
Yes. We supply push-back carts with galvanised or epoxy-coated finishes specifically for chilled and frozen environments down to -30°C. Cart bearings are sealed and greased for low-temperature operation.
Can I retrofit push-back into my existing racking?
In some cases, yes. If your existing uprights are SEMA-compliant and the bay geometry suits push-back lane lengths, we can retrofit cart systems into your current frames. Our free survey will confirm feasibility.
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